The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-09-16

burning In forests that the whole atnos.
phore becomes smoky and dull; but II
was not 80 here. The smoke remained to
itaeli, and the air oil about was clear, and
the sky was 40 blue as ever, even 10 the
very edge Of the column Of smoke that
evaded It. 3D%G75S 52l47E'
| A MAGNIFICENT SCENE. \ li
l saw In ons place, far back toward tho
source Of the Thompson river, a kcene TINT
has fixed itself In my mind. Perhaps It
was because 1t recalled to me that cycle In
DAnte'8 vision where the leo had veina OF
IRE flowing through II, each indestructibls
BY the power Of the other, the Ice refus.
Ing to melt apd the fire refusing to be ex.
tlnguishcd. Tho forests grow up 10 the
edge OF the snow, and the anow and the
trees are mingled together. Two sharp
ridges ran eide by aide and together from
the summit oil tho mountain down toward
the valley; and each ridge wRs covered
with deep drilts OF glittering snow. Be.
tween the two ridges was Q narrow ravine
IN which grow denao copee Of trees.
From whore l was, these could not be
seen; only the SNOW on either side Of
them. These trees were burning, and the
tames rolled upward 90 though they came
out OF tho snow. Had person seen that
who was In the least given to superstition
ne could have been induced 10 believe
that the world had taken fro and that the
day for the final Judgment had dswned.
Nothing ever looked palmer than that the
snow was burning. Some said 1t was a
volcano, and such belief was tho most rea.
sonable one 10 mo until the true cause
was discovered some minutes later.
Thess burnt forests, and those on fire,
extended 500 miles, even to the Pacific,
and saw OH Vancouver'a Island that the
fires were burning, and as far as could
500 up the coast toward Alaska and Simp.
son river. II looks as though the forests
OF British Columbia must soon DO thing
OK the past, unlees the Wholesale deetruc.
ton by burning can be checked. Many
Of the tires originate from sparks from the
locomotives. Perhaps all Of those that I
saw originated In that way. When once
started they will burn for weeks. But
much burning Ia done from wontonuess
and from human depravty. Hunters and
fishermen build camp fires, and the flames
spread from these. Then, in some places,
a few settlers are coming into the country,
and are trying to clear patches, and here
again Ia source from which much destruc.
ton arises. 1t appears that sources from
which evil and destruction arise are mover
wanting, and there il no exception to the |
rule here. &7F' .a"5n
In the course Of time as the descsnt OF
the river was made, the more violent cur.
rents and cataracts were passed, and |
came to valleys wider and to places where
the river flowed moro smoothly. But |
these more quiet periods in tho rivers |
course were only temporary, aud after |
brief repoae, other falls and cataracts
! would be passed.
When had passed Golden City, which
10 no city, not even town, and the name
OF the locality would be- more descriptive
We're It "Pandemonium" -whcn had
passed that place, came to widening in |
the valley. The mountains on all sides
rose thousands OF feet, and the timber on
their sides was burning; but this valley
was not burning. 1t will neyor burn. 1t
ought 10 be called
THE VALLEY or DEATH.
It was vast swamp from side to side,
with here and there small island Of dry
ground rising above the stsgnant water. |
The channel OF the river here Is 1000 feet
wide and passes down this valley slow and
sluggish. The bottom is OF black mud,
1t has no banks. The edges Of the river
blend with tho edges Of the swamps be-
yond. The valley from mountain to
mountain is three miles wide, with trees
and weeds growing up out Of the vile
water that has stood there until 1t has be.
come putrid. An atmosphere cold, dreary |
and desolate hangs over this valley, and
ono cannot look acrces ito doleful waters
without Bhudderlng. II is that region in |
Paradise Loat, that land OF 'lakes, iene,
boge, deEee and shades OF death, q uni |
verse OF DEATH" @ aG
When at times email islands rise above
tho water, the change is not for the better,
for the Islands are more dresry than the
marsh itself; and just beyond the Islands
and on ell sides Of them are dark pools OF |
deeper water, which looks to be bottom
lcss, and all round these pools grow
noisoms weeds and foul reeds and poison
GUS vines, and coarso and ugly water.Aags
expand their ungainly leaves on the eur-
face of these desolate ponde. As far as
one osn see, under tho dropping branches
OF the ancient pines growing about this
lyalley, extend thcsa ponds, one beyond
anosher, the farther ones seeming more
deHolate than the ones more near.
Such q dolorous region eeem, croeted in
vain. What use has this world for such y
valley9 1t is 4! only for s.,he German
poets to exile their gnost-tormentsd and
horror-hauntad monsters to, Surely
Goethe ard jean psul licnter should
have wandered here; and their epectree
and ghouls and phsntoms could have hsd
q real land to inhabit. l,=ig 4. q II
Toward the western end Of the valley
the very trees had been drowned out and
the great piaes had fallen and thor haye
sunkon from sight in muddy bottoms, or
only portions Of their timber reached
above the water OF in aome places where
one trunk had fallen acroas another, por-
ton Of tho broken logs could be Ceen,
These vide tracts Of trseless swamp had
lstill q greater seening OF deeolation. Only
the iops OF tule reeds and brushes psered
above the service Of the water. N6
! Upon these small Islands here and there,
noticed that @ fow, violet flowers we're
growing. Surely thoy we're "wsstine their
sYeetnep1 on the desert air. There wero
not 80 much as wild animale to see them
growing; for I saw not living thing
| there, nor heard 20 much as a frog croak-
ing. 1t is too cold and chilly fer snaiea
or alliSators. 1t seems 8 valley created in
vain, CT else lis day Of usefulness Is past
or veto come. ND r. Il.
Forsunal, .tI.ei,i
Dear Bro. Meek, Ed. "The Central
Methodist" Catlettaburg, Ky. I ace in
the last "Centrar that you want a sick
headache remedy. i suffered from pick
headache, almost from infancy, and tried
every remedy l could get, but never found
anything to do mo good until used Sim
mons Liver Regulator. l feel for anyone
that suffers with thst tpy.ible disease, and